Folding doors and mounting fixtures therefor



FOLDING DOORS AND MOUNTING FIXTURES THEREFOR Filed Feb. 20, 1959 R- L. LEIGH Feb. 6, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIHHH! R M3 m m/ N N I R M m 1/ I A v 7 w A Y B AW Feb. 6, 1962 'R. L. LElGH FOLDING DOORS AND MOUNTING FIXTURES THEREFOR Filed Feb. 20, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 57.7 7 INVZZTOR Rake/7 L lay/1 R. LEIGH 3,019,836

FOLDING DOORS AND MOUNTING FIXTURES THEREFOR Feb. 6, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 20, 1959 INVE TOR.

Kobe/1 L. la 1 BY A 77'0 R NE 3,019,836 FOLDING DGORS AND MOUNTING FDCIURES THEREFOR Robert L. Leigh, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to Air Control Products, Inc., Coopersville, Mich. Fiied Feb. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 794,573 8 Ciaims. (Cl. 160199) This invention relates to improvements in folding doors and mounting fixtures therefor. The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a folding doorwith mounting and guiding brackets and pintles which will permit the easy assembly and smooth operation of a folding door in a doorway even though the outline of the doorway is not truly rectangular.

Second, to provide mounting brackets and pintles for a folding door installation in which the upper and lower pintles on which the door is supported are yieldably supported to compensate for irregularities in the shape of the door opening, and in which the guide pins for guiding the outer or folding panel of the door are yieldably biased into engagement with guide tracks so that the panel can swing in a truly rectangular path even though the guide tracks must be mounted at an incline due to out of square shape of the doorway opening.

Third, to provide mounting brackets and connections for a folding door which yieldably bias the door to planar closed position against a door stop or coacting door to hold the folding door in closed position without rattling, but which permit easy swinging of the panels of the folding door to open position.

Fourth, to provide a folding door assembly which is relatively inexpensive and easy to install but which supports the door for easy operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims. The drawings, of which there are three sheets, illustrate a highly practical form of the door and its mounting fasteners and two modified forms of retainers for holding the door closed.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a States Patent O fice FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the con nection between the two adjacent panels of a folding door with the door in open folded position.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of an upper mounting bracket and guide bar support with parts broken away and in cross section.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a lower pintle bracket for the folding door with parts broken away and in cross section.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the center guide and locating bracket shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

FIG. 1 illustrates the general relationship of the parts of a folding door in which a wall 1 defines a doorway surrounded by a side frame member 2 and a lintel 3. A folding door consisting of a first panel 4 and a second panel 5 and cooperating with a similar pair of panels is mounted to selectively open or close the doorway as is generally common in doors of this type. Since the pairs of panels 4 and 5 are identical or may be used as a single folding door installation with one side of the door partially open.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the door and its mounting brackets with one-half of the double folding door conventionally illustrated and showing a modified form of guide structure for the bottom edge of the door.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational view of the top of a folding door with parts broken away' and in cross section.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational view pair, the description will'be limited to the structure and mounting of a singlepair of folding panels. The panel 4 which is hingedly connected to the door frame will be referred toas the inner panel While the panel 5 which is disposed outwardly from the side frame member 2 will be referred to as the outer panel.

The door panels 4 and 5 are made up of any suitable frame construction 6 having closure panels 7 on their front faces and are, of course, sized to approximately fit the opening in which they are to be mounted. The height and combined width of the pair of panels 4 and 5 are somewhat less than thecorresponding dimensions of the doorway to permit free movement of the door panels. The outer swinging edge of the inner panel 4 carries a plurality of upwardly projecting hinge pins 8 and the adjacent inner edge of the outer panel 5 carries coacting sockets 9 which fit over the pins 8 to hingedly support the outer panel on the swinging edge of the inner panel.

As appears most clearly from FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 the inner lower corner of the inner panel 4 carries a downwardly projecting fixed pintle or hinge pin 10 which is received in and supported by a lower mounting bracket generally identified by the reference numeral 11. The pintle 10 rests upon the bottom of the bracket 11 and vertically supports the weight of both the inner and the outer panel. As will be more particularly described presently the mounting bracket 11 includes provision for shifting and adjusting the pintle 10 transversely of the doorway. The upper inner corner of the inner panel 4 carries an upwardly projecting pintle or hinge pin 12 and as appearsmost clearly in FIG. 3 this pin is yieldably biased upwardly by a spring 13 received in a hollow section of the door frame and bearing upwardly against a collar 14 on the pin. The upper end of the pintle pin 12 is received and supported in an upper mounting bracket generally indicated at 15 and as will be more particularly described thebracketlS is arranged to yieldably support the pintle pin for movement transversely of the doorway. 1

The upper mounting bracket 15 also supports one end of a guide rod 16 which extends transversely across the doorway in spaced relation below the lintel 3 to a second top bracket at the opposite side of the doorway. When two pairs of folding doors are provided a center bracket 17 on the guide rod is attachable to the lintel above the center of the door. For each pair of folding panels the guide rod it? carries a slide 18 of U-shapeclsection having nylon or other antifriction bushings 19 mounted in its arms and engaged with the rod 16. The side web of the slide 18 carries a laterally projecting headed pin 2 (see FIG. 6). The slide 18 and the pin 20 thereon are designed to engage a bracket 21 on the upper end of a guide pin 22 yieldably supported at the upper outer corner of the outer panel 5. The pin 22 is welded to the bracket and has a keyhole slot 23 that receives the head of the pin 2%. A flat leaf spring 24 riveted to the side of the bracket overlies the enlarged end of the keyhole slot and defines a hole 25 registering with the narrow portion of the slot and arranged to snap over the head of the pin 20 to hold the bracket 21 and guide pin 22; engaged with the slide 18. 7

Attention is now directed to the details of the lower mounting bracket 11 appearing most clearly in FIG. 9. The bracket has a bottom wall 26 attachable to the floor and an end flange Z7 attachable to the side frame of the doorway. Side walls 28' on the bracket form a channel shaped way in which an inverted retainer member 2 9 is adjustable transversely of the doorway. The top wall of the retainer 29 defines an elongated slot 3% and is held in spaced relation above the bottom plate 26' by end walls Bi &1. One side wall 28 of the mounting bracket defines a slot 32 through which a screw 33 is passed into threaded engagement with the side wall of the retainer to adjust the position of the retainer trans versely of the'doo rway. Slidably mounted within the re taine'r 29 is a U-shaped abutment member 34- that is biased outwardly of the doorway by a" spr'ihg' '35; The slot 3% in the top of the retainer is sized to receive and laterally retain the fixed pintle pin 16' on the bottom of the outer door panel while the abutment 34' and spring 35 yieldably bias the pintle to the inner end of the panel can be pushed downwardly and the pin 20 on the slide 18' snapped laterally into the slot 23 in the previously described bracket 21. The free moving edge of the outer panel is thus guided in a vertical plane passed through the guide rod 16. Should the lintel 3 and guide rod 16 be inclined somewhat to the horizontal the yieldable mounting of the guide pin 22 permits the pin to slide vertically while moving along the inclined guide rod and does not interfere with swinging of the door panels about the vertical axis of the pintle pins 1i and 12. Should the adjacent pair of doors or the fixed side frame with which the swinging edge of the outer panel 5 coacts, be at an angle to true vertical the yieldable backing of the springs 43 and in the upper and lower mounting brackets permits the pintle pins It! and 12 to move sufiiciently for the door to close.

It is highly desirable to locate and guide the lower outer corner of the outer panel 5 in the closed position of the panels so that the door will close and remain straight. Two modified structures for accomplishing this functionare disclosed. In FIG; 2 the lower outer corner er theouter panels 5 are provided with outwardly projecting angled straps 44 that overlap the adjacent panels when the door is closed and prevent one panel from movingrelative to the other. A second form of guide is V illustrated in Fi-GS. land 1-0 in which a center retaining bracket 45 issecured to" the door in the center of, the doorway. The bracket defines V-shaped notches 46 that open upwar'dl and transversely across the doorway to receive a guide pin 47' that is yieldably supported in the bottom cross member of the outer panel; A spring 43 yieldably bases the pin 47 downwardly and downward The retainer 3 is not adjustable transversely of the t doorway but defines a transverse slot 41 in" its lower wall which receives the upwardly projecting pintle pin 12 at the upper outer corner of the door and permits limited transverse adjustment of the upper pintle. A U-sh'aped abutment 42 slidably' retained by the bracket 15 and the retainer 39 is biased outwardly toward the center of the door by a spring 43;

With the mounting and corinectirig structure thus far described, it should be apparent that it possible to mount the upper brackets f5 and the; guide bar 16 across the underside of the lintel 3: The slot 41 in the upper mounting bracket thus locates and defines an area of mounting of the upper pintle pin-12 and the lower mounting bracket 11 is secured to the floor below the upper mounting bracket and the adjustable retainer 29 in the lower bracket is positioned to locate the lower abutment 34 vertically underneath the upper abutment 42; The assembled door panels 4' and 5 are then moved into position by inserting the lower fixed pintle pin; 10 through the slot 30 into the lower bracket 11. The upper pintle pin 12 is retracted against the compression of the spring 13 and the doors swung into vertical position to let the pintle pin 12 project upwardly into the slot 41 at the outer side or" the abutment 42. Even though the side frame 2 of the doorway may not be truly vertical, the lower retainer 2'9 can be adjusted in the lower bracket 11 to locate the pintle pins 10 and 12 in alined vertical position. During mounting of the pintle pins 10" and 12 the guide pin 22 at the upper outer corner of the outer motion of the pin is adjustably limited by the screw clamp 49. The lower end of the pin 47 carries a nylon or other sounddeadening bumper 50 thatis received in the (l-shaped notch 46 to locate the lower outer corner of the door; Should irregular contour of the floor reguire it, the bumper 50 can slidablyengage the floor inmoving across the doorway and yieldably press the gu de pn 47 upwardly as the door opens and closes.

In order to retain the panels 4 and 5 against rattling in either open or closed positions the adjacent upper corners of the panels are provided with projecting anchors 51 (see FIGS. 2 and 7). In the example illustrated these anchors, are formed by punching and bending pointed: ears: out: of the metal of the frame members 6; These anchors 51 are located forwardly toward the front of the panels from the transverse plane through the hinge sockets- 9 and a short tension spring 52 is stretched between the adjacent anchors along the upper edge of the I door panels. When the doors are closed the springs 52 obviously tend to swing the panels" 4 and 5 forwardly relative to the hinge connection 8-9 or to urge the hinge connect-ion rearwardly and keep the two panels closed. Asthe swinging panels are opened with the necessary folding motion about the hinge connections 8-9, the spring 5% is stretched and moved across the axis of the hinge connection 8' 9 so that the spring assists in holding the; panels in the open folded position shown in FIG. 7'.

What is claimed as new is:

1;. A- folding door assembly in a doorway having a lintel, side and, floor comprising a side panel positioned adjacent said side and an outer panel hingedl'y supported from the outer edge of said side panel, atop bracket of downwardly opening channel section secured to said lintel adjacent said side of said doorway and having a downoutwardly from the side of said doorway by said spring, a top pintle slidably mounted at the upper inside corner of said side panel and spring urged through said first slot at the outer side of said abutment, a bottom bracket of upwardly opening channel section secured to said floor below said top bracket and extending outwardly from the side of said doorway, a second spring retainer of downwardly opening channel section longitudinally adjustably secured in said bottom bracket and defining an upwardly opening slot, a second spring positioned between said bottom bracket and saidsecond retainer, a bottom abutment slidable in said second retainer at the outer end of said second spring, a bottom pintle fixedly projecting from the lower inside corner of said side panel and projecting through the upwardly opening slot in said second retainer outwardly of said second abutment, a top guide rod slidably mounted in the upper outer corner of said outer panel and spring biased upwardly therefrom, said top guide rod having an angled bracket on its upper, end, a U-shaped guide bracket slidably mounted on said guide rail and having a laterally projecting head pin on its side, said bracket on said top guide rod defining a laterally opening slot'receiving the end of said headed pin, a spring plate on said angled bracket overlying the slot therein and defining a hole retaining said headed pin in said bracket, :1 bottom guide rod slidably mounted in the lower outside corner of said outer panel and yieldably projected therebelow, and -a retaining bracket secured to said floor below the closed position of the outer edge of said outer panel and defining an upwardly opening inwardly diverging V-shaped notch adapted to receive said bottom guide rod, the top edges of said'panels having projections thereon spaced from the adjacent side edges of the panels and a tension spring connected between said projections.

2. A,folding door assembly in a doorway having a lintel, side and floor comprising a side panel positioned adjacent said side and an outer panel hingedly supported from the outer edge of said side panel, a top bracket secured to said lintel adjacent said side of said doorway and having a transverse wall at its outer end, a guide ra'il secured to said transverse wall and extending outwardly from said side and across said doorway above said panels, an upwardly opening channel shaped spring retainer secured to said bracket inwardly of said transverse wall and defining a first slot disposed perpendicular to said side of said doorway, a spring retained above said retainer, a top abutment slidable in said retainer and urged outwardly from the side of said doorway by said spring, a top pintleslidably mounted at the upper inside corner of said side panel and spring urged through said first slot at the outer side of said abutment, a bottom bracket secured to said floor below said top bracket and extending outwardly from the side of said doorway, a second spring retainer of downwardly opening channel section longitudinally adjustably secured to said bottom bracket and defining an upwardly opening slot, a second spring positioned between said bottom bracket and said second retainer, a bottom abutment slidable in said second retainer at the outer end of said second spring, a bottom pintle fixedly projecting from the lower inside corner of said side panel and projecting through the upwardly opening slot in said second retainer outwardly of said second abutment, a top guide rod slidably mounted in the upper outer corner of said outer panel, said top guide rod having vertical plate on its upper end, a guidebracket slidably mounted on said guide rail and having a laterally projecting headed pin on its side, said plate defining a keyhole slot receiving the end of said headed pin, a spring on said bracket on said guide pin retaining said headed pin in the slot, a bottom guide rod slidably mounted in the lower outside corner of said outer panel and yieldably projected the'rebelow, and a retaining bracket secured to said fioor below the closed position of the outer edge or" said outer panel and defining an upwardly opening in-,

6 wardly diverging V-shaped notch adapted to receive said bottom guide rod.

3. A folding door assembly in a doorway having a lintel, side and floor comprising a side panel positioned adjacent said side and an outer panel hingedly supported from the outer edge of said side panel, a top bracket secured to said lintel adjacent said side of said doorway and having a transverse wall at its outer end, a guide rail secured to said transverse wall and extending outwardly from said side and across said doorway above said panels, an upwardly opening channel shaped spring retainer secured to said bracket inwardly of said trans verse wall and defining a first slot disposed perpendicular to said side of said doorway, a spring retained above said retainer, a top abutment slidable in said retainer and urged outwardly from the side of said doorway by said spring, a top pintle slidably mounted at the upper inside corner of said side panel and spring urged through said first slot at the outer side of said abutment, a bottom bracket secured to said floor below said top bracket and extending outwardly from the side of said doorway, a second spring retainer of downwardly opening channel section longitudinally adjustably secured to said bottom bracket and defining an upwardly opening slot, a second spring positioned between said bottom bracket and said second retainer, a bottom abutment slidable in said second retainer at the outer end of said second spring, a bottom pintle fixedly projecting from the lower inside corner of said side panel and projecting through the upwardly opening slot in said second retainer outwardly of said second abutment, a top guide rod slidably mounted in the upper outer corner of said outer panel, said top guide rod having a plate with a keyhole slot therein on its upper end, a guide bracket slidably mounted on said guide rail and having a laterally projecting pin detachably received in the slot on said top guide rod, and a spring retaining said laterally projecting pin in the slot.

4. A folding door assembly in a doorway having a lintel, side and floor comprising a side panel positioned adjacent said side and an outer panel hingedly supported from the outer edge of said panel, a top bracket of downwardly opening channel section secured to said lintel adjacent said side of said doorway and having a downturned transverse wall at its outer end, a guide rail secured to said transverse wall and extending outwardly from said side and across said doorway above said panels, an upwardly opening channel shaped spring retainer secured within said bracket inwardly of said transverse wall and defining a first slot disposed perpendicular to said side of said doorway, a spring retained above said retainer, a top abutment slidable in said retainer and urged outwardly from the side of said doorway by said spring, a top pintle slidably mounted at the upper inside corner of said side panel and spring urged through said first slot at the outer side of said abutment, a bottom bracket of upwardly opening channel section secured to said floor below said top bracket and extending outwardly'from the side of said doorway, a second spring retainer of downwardly opening channel section longitudinally adjustably secured in said bottom bracket and defining an upwardly opening slot, a second spring positioned between said bottom bracket and said second retainer, a bottom abutment slidable in said second re- 7 tainer at the outer end of saidv second spring, a bottom I slidably mounted on said guide rail and having a lateral pin on its side received in the slot on said top guide rod, and a spring on said plate retaining said lateral pin in the slot, the top edges of said panels having projections thereon spaced from the adjacent side edges of the panels and a tension spring connected between said projections] 5. A folding door assembly in a doorway having a lintel, side and floor comprising a side panel positioned adjacent said side and an outer panel hingedly supported from the outer edge of said side panel, a top bracket se cured to said lintel adjacent said' side of said doorway and having a downturned transverse Wall at its outer end, a guide rail secured to said transverse Wall and extending outwardly'from said side and across said doorway above said panels, a spring retainer secured to said bracket inwardly of said transv'ersewall and defining a first slot disposed perpendicular to said side of said door way, a spring retained between said bracket and said retainer, a top abutment slidable in said retainer and urged outwardly from the side of said doorway by said spring, a top pintle slidably mounted at the upper inside corner of said side panel and spring urged through said: first slot at the outer'side of said'abutment, a bottom bracket securedto said floor below said top bracket and extending outwardly from the side of said doorway, a second spring retainer longitudinally adjustably secured to said bottom bracket and defining an upwardly opening slot, at second spring'positioned between said bottom bracket and said second retainer, a bottom abutment slidable in said second retainer at the outer end 'of said" second spring, a bottom pintle fixedly projecting from the lower inside corner of said side panel'and projecting through the upwardly opening slotin said second "re: tainer'outwardlyof said second abutment, atop guide rod slidably mounted in' the upper outer corner of-said outer panel and spring biased upwardly therefrom, said top' guide rod having a vertical plate on its upper end, a guide bracket slidably mounted on said guide rail and having a plate on its side, one of said plates defining a laterally opening slot, the other of said plates having a headed pin received in said laterally opening slot, aspring on said one plate retaining'said pin in the slot a bottom guide rod slidably mounted in the lower outside corner of said outer panel and yieldably projected there- 7 below, and a retaining bracket secured to said floor below the closed position of the outer edge of said outer panel and defining an upwardly opening inwardly diverging V-shaped notch adapted to receive said bottom guide rod,,the top edges of said panels'having projec-' tions thereon spaced from the adjacent side edges of the panels and a tension spring connected between said 'pro-" tending outwardly from said side and across said door- 1 way above said panels and spaced from said lintel over said panels, a spring retainer secured to said bracket inwardly of said transverse wall and defining a first slot extending perpendicularly inwardly andoutwardly rela tive to said side of said doorway, a spring retained above said retainer, a top abutment slidable in said retainer and urged outwardly from the side of said doorway 'by said spring, a top pintle projecting above the upper inside corner of said side panel'and through said first slot at the outer side of saidabutment, a bottom bracket secured to said floor below said top bracket and extending perpendicularly inwardly and outwardly to said side of said doorway, a second spring retainer secured to said bottom bracket and defining an upwardly opening slot,

a second spring positioned between said bottom bracket and said second retainer, a bottom abutment slidable in said second retainer at the outer end of said second spring, a bottom pintle fixedly projecting from the lower inside corner of said side panel and projecting through g r the upwardly opening slot in said second retainer outwardly of said second abutment, one of said pintles being spring biased vertically outwardly of said side panel andone of said spring retainers being adjustable in its bracket inwardly and outwardly from the side of said doorway, a top guide rod slidably mounted in the upper outer corner of said outer panel and spring biased upwardly therefrom, and a guide bracket slidably mounted on said guide rail, means on said guide'bracket and said top guide rod defining a laterally opening slot and coactiug pin detachably connecting the rod and bracket, the top edges of said panels having projections thereon between the opposite faces of the panels spaced from the adjacent side edges of the panels and a tension spring connected between said projections.

' 7. A folding door assembly in a doorway having a lintel, side and floor comprising a side panel positioned adjacent said side and an outer panel hingedly supported from the outer edge of said side panel, a top bracket secured to said lintel adjacent said side of said doorway and having a downturned transverse wall at its outer end, a guide rail secured to said transverse wall and extending outwardly from said Side and across said doorway above said panels and spaced from said lintel over said panels, a spring retainer secured to said bracket inwardly of said transverse wall and defining a first slot extending perpendicularly inwardly and outwardly relative to said side of said doorway, a spring retained above said retainer, a top abutment slidable in said retainer and urged outward from the side of said doorway by said spring, a top pintle projecting above the upper inside corner of said side panel and through said first slot at the outer side of said abutment, a bottom bracket secured to said floor below said top bracket and extending perpendicularly inwardly and outwardly to said side of said doorway, a second Spring retainer secured to, said bottom bracket and defining an upwardly opening slot, a second spring positioned between said bottom bracket and said second retainer, a bottom abutment slidable in said second retainer at the outer end of said secondspring; a bottom pintle projecting from the? lower inside corner of said side panel and projecting through the upwardly opening slot in said second retainer outwardly of said second abutment, one of said pintles being spring biased vertically outwardly of said side panel and one of said spring retainers being adjustable-in its bracket inwardly and outwardly from the side of said doorway, a top guide rod slidably mounted in the upper-router corner of said outer panel and spring biased upwardly therefrom, and a guide bracket slidably mounted on said guide rail and engaging the end of said top guide rod.

' 8. A 'folding' door for a doorway comprising an inner panel having hinge pintles projecting from its upper and lower edges adjacent the inner edge thereof, the upper pintle being yieldably retractable into said panel, mounting brackets adapted to be secured to the frame of the doorway at the top and bottom thereof, means on said brackets defining slots arranged to extent inwardly and outwardly perpendicular to the side of the doorway and receiving the ends of said pintles, the slot defining means on the lower of said brackets being adjustable inwardly v panel, spring anchor projections on a horizontal edge of said panels between the opposite faces of the panels spaced transversely from the adjacent edges of the panels and disposed toward the outwardly folding sides of the panels from the hinge connection 'therebetween, a tension spring connected between said projections to swing across the axis of said hinge connection as said panels fold, a guide rail connected at one end to said upper bracket and extending across the tops of said panels and spaced from the lintel over the panels, a slide slidably supported References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,245,042 Schoening et a1 Oct. 17, 1917 10 Riggs June 19, 1921 Rolland Jan. 15, 1924 White Ian. 3, 1928 Grinstead Nov. 2, 1943 Shafer Oct. 9, 1945 Lloyd ...L' Sept. 27, 1949 Majeske July 15, 1958 Wood et a1 Nov. 18, 1958 Hollansworth Apr. 21, 1959 

